Peru
About the Experience
Sacred Valley of the Incas
Valle Sagrado was designed as a headquarter from where to explore a remote and great destination: Cusco, Machu Picchu, and the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Located in one of the Valley’s remotest haciendas, Explora Valle Sagrado has views to the mountains that were part of the Inca Empire and preserves pieces of history going back more than 400 years. The hotel is surrounded by Inca terraces and walls and our Pumacahua Bath House, where the hotel Spa is located. a 17th-century colonial mansion that belonged to a Peruvian Independence hero.
Trip Itenarary
WHAT TO DO
Our explorations take travelers through the colonial history of Cusco and the architectural magnificence of the Incas in Machu Picchu, isolated villages, archaeological sites such as Ollantaytambo, Moray, Chinchero, and Pisac, to Andean pampas and mountains or Apus, considered by locals as guardians of people and nature.
Traveling through archaeological Inca sites, following the course of the Urubamba River by bike, visiting Machu Picchu, or arriving at a glacier nearby Cusco are some of the explorations carefully designed by our team for its travelers. Either walking, by van, or riding a bike, our travelers discover from traditional villages still untouched by globalization to perfectly preserved ancient traces and lost lagoons in the Andean pampa.
GASTRONOMY
Peruvian chef Virgilio Martínez, owner of the sixth-best restaurant in the world –according to The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019 ranking– has recently designed the new menu for explora Valle Sagrado. A total gastronomic renovation, both in our restaurant and in the explorations, using Andean ingredients from the simplest to the most elaborate that result in preparations with an identity that honors Andean cooking.
Virgilio Martínez inspired himself in the biodiversity of the Sacred Valley, its history, and the traits of the people who live there, developing a unique menu that unveils the magic of the place in each bite or taste of his food. With natural and organic preparations, the menu seamlessly brings the land to the travelers’ table, both in the hotel and during the explorations, where unparalleled outdoor meals are paired with a carefully thought selection of wines and beverages.
GEOGRAPHY
Sacred Valley is located at 9,500 feet above sea level (2.900 meters ) and 20 miles (32 kms) from Cusco in the Peruvian Sierra, also known as the Andean region. It is fed by the Urubamba or Vilcanota River, a sacred Inca river that descends from Andes mountain range glaciers.
It has two well-defined seasons: one dry season from April to October and one rainy season from November to March.
FAUNA
Along with Machu Picchu, Valle Sagrado has an enviable natural wealth that is easily recognizable for those visiting the area.
There are over 200 bird species living in the Sacred Valley. The Andean condor is one of them and stands out on the high plane skies. It measures over a meter and can remain for hours flying over the mountains looking for dead animals to feed. The gigantic hummingbird, on the other hand, is the largest of its kind in the world. The Torrente duck can also be seen in the Urubamba riverbanks. This bird has the ability to dive into the cold and crystal-clear waters.
Camelids are typical natural inhabitants of the Andean high plane region. Llamas and alpacas were domesticated over ten thousand years ago to work as cargo animals. Vicunas and guanacos, on the other hand, are still found in the wild, although their fur and skin are used by Andean people to produce knitwear and other works internationally recognized as being excellent quality fibers.
The spectacled bear is one of eight bear species existing in the world and the only one of South America. It lives in the Andean-Amazonia region where Valle Sagrado is located and inhabits ecosystems with heights that range between 1640 feet (500 meters) and 14,800 feet (4,500 meters) above sea level.
USEFUL INFORMATION
Once you arrive in Lima, the capital of Peru, you must connect to the city of Cusco. Our team will welcome you there and take you to Valle Sagrado close to the Urquillos town.
HISTORY
Sacred Valley was chosen by the Incas to build some of their most important architectural works and to develop the most complex irrigation terraces that are still used up to this day for growing food.
Located between Cusco and the sacred city of Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley stretches along the Urubamba River and covers different colonial towns still marked by the Inca legacy. It is considered to be the home of the best Peruvian corn grains.
One of the greatest achievements of the Inca Empire was the architectural development and construction of thousands of miles of travel paths that connected the vast territory where they ruled.
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